The Last Goodbye
by Luciana Surana
Summary: "You know that, I can't live in a world where you don't exist, my only love, this is the last goodbye," The characters, world and any other associations belong to BioWare.
1. Chapter 1

**The Last Goodbye:  
**

_"You can't do this Alistair, I won't let you!" Laurel exclaimed._  
_"I won't let you die when I can do something about it, I want to be a good king, and what better way to be a good king than by finishing the Blight before it begins?" He walked towards her, "I love you, more than anything in the world," Tears welled up in the corner of his eyes, "You know that, I can't live in a world where you don't exist, my only love, this is the last goodbye," He couldn't say any more words, he kissed her on the lips. Laurel wrapped her arms around him, and didn't want to let go, but reluctantly she did._  
_"I can't Alistair, I can't live without you," Laurel looked him in the eyes, a tear began to roll down her cheek, Alistair gently wiped it away._  
_"You are the strongest woman I know, you will move on to better things, you deserve so much more," He faked a smile to try and reassure her, she smiled back, but weakly. _  
_"I love you. More than you can ever know," Laurel kissed him on the cheek for the final time, he turned around and ran towards the archdemon, he pulled a sword from a fallen soldiers corpse and carried on running, Zevran had to restrain Laurel. She desperately fought to free herself from his grasp, without success. _

_She watched Alistair embed the sword in the archdemon's skull and the light poured out, Laurel screamed and screamed before she fell to her knees, watching the life slowly leave her only love. The light washed over her, she wanted to die._

* * *

_The room was silent, the sun slanted through the stained glass window and onto Alistair's armour, the colours dancing upon the golden surface. Laurel slowly walked up the centre of the room, dressed from head to toe in black, her eyes red from days of crying. Everyone bowed their head in respect as she walked past them, she slowly walked up to where Alistair lay, she squeezed her hands together, desperately trying to keep her composure. Slowly, she kissed him on the lips for the final time, not wanting to have to say goodbye, but knowing she had no other choice. She stood up and smoothed out her dress, stepping to the side of Alistair, she let the Revered Mother talk, the tears started to flow down Laurel's cheeks. When the Revered Mother finished talking she looked over at Laurel, and slowly, she began to speak.  
"Alistair was a great man, who was loved and respected by everyone he met, Alistair's sacrifice was not the only one, most of you standing here have lost someone close to you, we all share each other's pain. Yet not one of them died in vein, the last words Alistair spoke to me, was that he wanted to be a good king," She paused,"And to be a good king he wanted to stop the Blight before it truly began, he did his duty, and may the Maker watch over him." A tear rolled down her cheek and dropped onto the floor, the room was silent once more._


	2. Chapter 2

_"Have you seen Laurel? I haven't seen her in days," Wynne asked Eamon.  
"She has spent those days in the Chantry, I am concerned for her wellbeing," He replied, "Perhaps someone should go and visit her,"  
"I shall," Wynne replied, and with that she turned on her heel and walked to the Chantry with a slow pace, the spirit keeping her alive was weakening further, but still strong enough to keep her alive. She reached the Chantry and entered its doors, most of the people inside were inconspicuous, but there was one person who stood out, they were dressed from head to toe in black, the only colour upon the person was the dark red hair upon her head, Wynne instantly recognised her, Laurel was stood before the Revered Mother, Wynne walked up to them. Laurel didn't notice her as she was looking at the floor whilst the Revered Mother rambled on about Andraste, at this moment Wynne wasn't concerned about religion, she was concerned about Laurel,  
"My dear, there is someone here to see you," The Revered Mother said to Laurel, she slowly looked up and saw Wynne, but Wynne did not see Laurel, she saw a sickly girl who hadn't slept in days, nor eaten a proper meal, but the most unsettling thing was her eyes, they did not convey any emotion, no grief, sadness, anguish nor anger, they were a dead person's eyes in a living person's skull. Laurel had become a tranquil without the Rite of Tranquility, and this scared Wynne.  
"Hello Wynne, its is nice to see you," Laurel's voice was flat and hollow.  
"Laurel, you do not sound alright, what is the matter?" Wynne asked.  
"Nothing Wynne, you must not worry about me, Andraste is with me now, I can make it without-" She paused, almost making the emotions seep back to her, but before they did she finished her sentence, "Alistair," Wynne couldn't bear to look at her, so she looked at the Revered Mother and asked,  
"Do you know what is wrong? She isn't acting the way she normally would,"  
"The child seeks repentance, she believes that she is to blame for the king's demise and that The Maker will purge her soul, allowing her to start anew," The Revered Mother said plainly,  
"Can you not see what she has become? She is a tranquil, this is not doing her any good, this is only harming her, and how can you justly prove that The Maker is doing anything, and if he were he wouldn't let this happen to her, he is a just and fair god and would not let this happen to one of his people," Wynne said angrily.  
"The Maker sets the path for everyone, The Maker chose her fate and she is merely living what she was meant to,"  
"In the cruelest way possible! She is better off dead than living like this! That fate is kinder!" Wynne spat. Laurel said dutifully,  
"I am fine, let Eamon know that he has no need to worry about me, and I thank him for his concern, but my home is here now."  
"Please Laurel, just come to the castle and let Eamon see that you are not okay," Wynne pleaded.  
"If that is what you wish, but I shall return afterwards," Laurel bowed her head to the Revered Mother and followed Wynne out of the Chantry  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_Wynne walked into the castle with Laurel trailing behind her, she never looked up from the floor, Wynne found Eamon and he asked,  
"Have you brought her?" Unthinking that the girl standing behind Wynne was Laurel,  
"Y- Yes, but, she is not well," She said quietly, yet somehow Laurel heard her.__"I am fine Wynne, there is no need to worry about me," She looked up, Eamon went pale as he saw the ghoulish figure which claimed to be Laurel, her eyes were no longer the sapphire blue they used to be, they used to be the envy of her friends, possibly the envy of Ferelden, but no longer, they were a lifeless dull blue, and her eyes only stared, she wasn't even seeing, for all anyone knew she could be blind.  
"Laurel, my dear, you are not well, you need to rest," Eamon walked over to her and embraced her tightly, she did not reciprocate,  
"Eamon, I am well, The Maker is all the rest I need, I assure you," Laurel stated plainly. Eamon let go and looked behind her, the small, red headed Orlesian girl known as Leliana was walking towards Laurel  
"Laurel I haven't seen you in-" She fell quiet when she saw Laurel, the Laurel she motivated those around her, she was strong and beautiful and healthy, and she smiled. Leliana didn't recognise the girl stood in front of her, the girl was merely a stranger, but she knew that she wanted to help, to find the Laurel they all knew and loved.  
"Hello Leliana, I haven't seen you in a while, are you okay?" Laurel asked. Leliana remained quiet, and took her hand, leading her away from Eamon and Wynne. "Where are you taking me?" Laurel asked, her voice flat. Leliana stopped in front of a mirror,  
"Look at yourself, what do you see?" Leliana asked her. Laurel's eyes flickered, as if to convey some emotion but she then stated,  
"I see myself, nothing else, what is the point of this exercise," She asked rhetorically.  
"You need to see, Laurel, look at your eyes," She continued. Laurel looked deep into her eyes, and they widened, she saw a dead person's eyes, there was nothing in them, they looked like eyes of glass, unmoving, only staring. "There is nothing in your eyes, even sorrow is better than nothing, when Alistiar died you died with him, and you haven't felt since, believe me when I say there is not a hole where your heart is, it just needs to be healed, first, you have to start with sadness, to break through the barrier." Leliana rested a hand on her shoulder.  
"He's dead, and he's not coming back," Laurel's lip trembled, "He's gone," Leliana held her as she began to cry, the sobs racked her body and echoed through the halls, Laurel suddenly fell to her knees and wept inconsolably on the floor. Leliana knew there was nothing she could do to stop her, so she let her cry._

* * *

_Leliana walked back in to see her lying on the floor asleep, her eyes red and blotchy, but she looked peaceful, Leliana pulled a silk throw off one of the chairs and laid it on Laurel, she smiled when she saw how peaceful she looked. She then left the room.  
_


	4. Chapter 4

A scream echoed through the halls, Ghost had started to bark, the guards looking around frantically to see where the noise had come from, the sound resonated from one of the bedrooms, a guard smashed open the door to see Laurel sitting up in bed, panting heavily, deathly pale and in a cold sweat. Alistair was roused by the noise, he looked across at Laurel and held her tightly when he saw how pale she was. He kissed her on the head and asked,  
"Laurel, are you alright?" The concern clear in his eyes. She nodded but tears were running down her cheeks, "Shh, its okay now, nothing can hurt you,"  
"You can," She mumbled.  
"What?" Alistair asked confusedly.  
"I dreamt that... You died killing the archdemon and... And... I became tranquil, without the Rite of Tranquility... Because I couldn't live without-" She was cut off by her own tears. Alistair held her closer,  
"You are dismissed for now, change with the other guards," Alistair stated, the guard left the room, closing the slightly splintered door behind him, but before it was fully closed Ghost came rushing in and jumped on the bed inbetween Laurel and Alistair, "You little-" Alistair started, Ghost whined, "Never mind," He continued, Ghost licked his hand and then licked Laurel's face and sat down in front of her, whining. Alistair kissed her on top of the head,  
"I'm here, and I'm real, it was just a nightmare. You can't get rid of me that easily," Alistair smirked. Laurel looked up at him,  
"I suppose you're right..." She sniffed.

"Come on, let's try and get some more sleep whilst we still can," Alistair comforted her.

"Okay," Laurel smiled, she laid back down. But did not want to fall asleep. She didn't want to have to face what the morning proposed. For the dreams had returned.


End file.
